The people have spoken - let’s go to Rio

Kia's multi-award winning Rio has added another feather to its cap with the announcement that the carsales online community has voted Rio a dual winner in the leading website’s People’s Choice Awards.

Rio topped the votes as the most desired first car and then backed up to grab the inaugural overall prize as the most popular of the 13 segment winners.

“The carsales People’s Choice Awards’ dual recognition for the Kia Rio is another wonderful endorsement for the car and for the brand," said Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer Tony Barlow. “It is particularly satisfying when the votes are cast by people who are actively engaged in making a purchasing decision.

“As the fastest growing mainstream brand in the Australian new car market, it is heartening to see shopper speaking out in favour of Kia’s products.”

The 13 lifestyle categories by which the various cars were selected mirror the search options shoppers can use to find vehicles they want on the various carsales network sites. For 2012, the People's Choice Awards are based on the motoring.com.au editorial team settling on the finalists, with winners in each category then decided by popular vote from the public. To be considered, each of the cars had to be on sale and driven by motoring.com.au prior to September 1 this year.

"All of the finalists nominated across the carsales People’s Choice Award categories are strong performers. But the new format of the awards is a chance for our audience of genuine new car shoppers to voice its opinion," said Managing Director and CEO of carsales.com Ltd, Greg Roebuck.

"The carsales network of websites attracts more Australians buying and researching new car purchases than any other – they are well informed and that adds even more kudos to a category or outright win."

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Kia Motors

Founded in 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry, Kia is currently Korea’s second largest car manufacturer and it’s oldest. From the company’s production of Korea’s first domestic bicycle, Kia moved on to producing Korea’s first motorcycle and the country’s first truck. Kia then became the first company in Korea to locally produce petrol car engines and the first domestic diesel engine. In 1979, Kia’s quality car production was recognised by the fact that two of the world’s leading European car makers chose the Korean car maker to build their ‘range topper’ models on their behalf – the Peugeot 604 and Fiat 132. But it was in the 1980s that Kia’s growth really took off. In 1986 Ford joined the list of car makers who looked to Kia to produce cars to be sold under their name, with the Festiva joining Ford’s line up first in the USA, then across the world, including in Australia for where Kia produced two generations of Ford’s entry-level car. Today, Kia produces a remarkably diverse range of vehicles sold in 190 countries around the world.Kevin Hepworth P: 02-9701-1734M: 0412-210-313W:kia.com.au